Chapter 61: An Ugly Breakup

Scene: Hen Tie High. Zoi's friends are angling to create a barrier between the Blackmoon brothers and Zoi.]

Usagi: Leave him alone, or else you'll be punished.

Demande: No problem, we were just leaving anyway.

Minako: Good for you. Because I was just about to lose a heel off one of my Ferragamos, and you were just about to gain one in an uncomfortable spot.

Demande: [smiles warmly] Fair enough. You must forgive me. I should have said what I came here to say and left, but I got a little carried away. My apologies. Come along Saffir.

[Saffir lags behind and stares down Mamoru.]

Demande: Brother, let it go. There are no hard feelings. I was clearly in the wrong. [to Zoi's friends] Consider this matter closed. I won't give you any more trouble.

[Zoi very much doubts that]

[They watch to make sure the Blackmoons actually leave. Zoi sinks into a corner and sits crosslegged with his face resting on his hands, pretty badly shaken.]

Mamoru: [rubs his shoulder] Hey buddy? Are you ok?

[Zoi nods, but closes his eyes sadly.]

Mamoru: You don't seem ok.

Zoi: [muttering to himself] Kunzite is going to be so angry at me.

Mamoru: Why would Kunzite be angry at you?

Zoi: [still muttering] I can't take care of myself. I'm completely useless in a fight. I could get my ass kicked by 100% the boys in this school, and at least 95% of the girls. I am such a weakling.

Usagi: [stoops down on one knee next to him to give him a hug] Hey, don't worry about it. We've got your back.

Minako: Besides, why would you need to hold your own in fight when you've got a big hot studmuffiny boyfriend to look after you?

[Zoi sighs wistfully.]

Umino: I tried to find Kunzite, but he wasn't in the cafeteria.

Zoi: There was somewhere else he needed to be right now.

Mamoru: [helps him to his feet] You should sit with us today.

Usagi: Let's go eat, I'm starving.

[They go to the cafeteria. Mamoru sits between Zoi and Usagi. Zoi has not brought any lunch, nor has he brought any money for lunch, since he's come to depend on Kunzite for such things. He's not hungry in the slightest… but still…The realization of that rattles him just a little. The chasm of inequality between himself and Kunzite has never felt more staggering. ]

Mamoru: You didn't bring any lunch. Want me to get you something?

Zoi: No. I really can't eat anything right now.

Usagi: You sure? [holds out an open plastic snack cake package to him] You can have one of my Tastykakes.

Rei: You'd better take it. And quickly. An offer like that from Usagi doesn't come around very often.

Minako: Truly. This is a momentous occasion.

[Zoi takes a cake and eats glumly while he looks at the empty table where he and Kunzite usually sit. He has no doubt that Kunzite knows exactly what has happened. He has no doubt Kunzite will hold him to his promise to return to Phoenix at the first sign of of trouble.]

[Still, the sudden infusion of sugar does help.]

Zoi: I forgot to mention it, but I have to go back to Phoenix.

[The table goes quiet.]

Usagi: To visit?

[Zoi shakes his head.]

Naru: When?

Zoi: Soon. Maybe tonight.

Umino: For how long?

Zoi: A while.

[The table goes quiet]

Usagi: Don't leave! You can't go back to Phoenix!

Zoi: I'm afraid I don't get a say in the matter.

Umino: No! You can't go! There must be something we can do!

Zoi: There isn't. I tried. Trust me, I tried.

Naru: Is this because you broke up with Kunzite?

[Zoi stares at her in stunned silence]

Zoi: Why would you think I broke up with Kunzite?

Naru: Oh, I don't know…you say Kunzite's angry at you… your heart is broken… Kunzite's avoiding you all of a sudden… You're leaving town in a hurry… You've got grown men coming to the school to threaten you…

[The others look at Zoi in alarm.]

Zoi: I didn't break up with Kunzite!

Mamoru: So he broke up with you?

Zoi: I…[realizes he doesn't know how active Kunzite will be in Hen Tie after he leaves so it's best to say as little as possible.] I…really don't feel like talking right now.

Mamoru: Well, it's his loss. [clasps his shoulder] Just remember, we're here for you no matter what.

Usagi: [slides the rest of the packet to him.] Here, you should have the rest of my cake.

[Time passes. Kunzite is absent for the remainder of lunch. Nor is he there for the beginning of Biology. Zoisite is starting to think he won't see him in class. But as he starts his lab, Kunzite takes his seat.

[Zoi looks up to talk to him, but Kunzite scoots his chair as far from Zoisite as he can get. When Zoi stares at him, he stares back with malevolent hatred.]

Kunzite: How was your lunch with Mamoru Chiba?

Zoi: [aghast] You're joking, right?

Kunzite: Funny. That's what I was thinking every time you let him put his hands all over you.

Zoi: How would you know about that. You weren't there!

Kunzite: So that's how it is? The moment I'm gone, you go running to Mamoru Chiba?

Zoi: He's just a friend. You know that. I'm not allowed to have friends?

Kunzite: "Friends?" Is that what you're calling them now? Friends with benefits is more like it.

[Zoi is practically shaking with fury. He wants to defend himself against Kunzite's accusations, but Esmeraude Blackmoon is sitting only a few rows away.]

[Then he realizes the whole reason Kunzite is acting like this is because Esmeraude Blackmoon is only a few rows away.]

Zoi: At least Mamoru cares about me. Which is more than I can say for you!

Kunzite: Don't flatter yourself. Nobody cares about you. You've never been anything more than a piece of ass to anyone.

Zoi: Yeah…well…you're….I can't think of anything to say…

[Tries to concentrate on the lab.]

Kunzite: I am so sick of your face right now. I should make you walk home, but I'm sure you'd just go running into Chiba's apartment.

Zoi: Oh shut up!

Kunzite: Don't talk that way to me.

Zoi: Oh, you're the only one who is allowed to get mad?

Kunzite: I am not mad at you.

Zoi: "You've never been anything but a piece of ass to anyone"?

Kunzite: That was simply a statement of fact.

[Zoi goes back to working on his lab with a scowl on his face]

Kunzite: My mother was right about you.

Zoi: Your mother's nothing but a wretched old battleaxe! You should go off and marry her, since that evil bitch is the only one that's good enough for her big dumb momma's boy!

Kunzite: Don't talk that way about my mother.

Zoi: To hell with your damned mother!

[For the rest of the class Zoi pretends to smolder with anger. Actually he doesn't have to pretend since he's not completely convinced Kunzite's putting on an act. They sit through the class in angry silence, until the bell rings and Kunzite storms out the door, with Zoi rushing to keep up with him.]

Kunzite: Hurry up.

Zoi: No.

Kunzite: Then take the bus home.

Zoi: Fine. I have to pee anyway.

[He walks into the faculty restroom and Kunzite follows him in. Zoi locks the door behind them, and before Kunzite can even react, Zoi's arms reach up to twine around Kunzite's neck and he welds himself against Kunzite's stone figure. Kunzite tries to push him away, but he forces his lips against Kunzite's.]

[After a halfhearted struggle Kunzite kisses him back, and with far greater passion.]